By Radha McLean Havana : Cuba
Jun 19, 2010
A potentially groundbreaking study has shown that a nutritional supplement was effective in treating patients with hepatitis C who do not respond to standard antiviral therapy. The research, published in the June 7, 2010 issue of the World Journal of Gastroenterology, was conducted by doctors at the National Institute of Gastroenterology in Havana, Cuba.
Called Viusid, the supplement contains ascorbic acid (vitamin C), zinc, and glycyrrhizic acid (licorice). The antioxidant properties of these ingredients work by preventing the proliferation of free radicals, and their immunomodulatory effects help strengthen the immune system.
Patients with hepatitis C who did not respond to standard therapy received either 3 doses of Viusid daily or placebo. Certain chemicals in the body that gauge levels of oxidative stress and immune response were measured. Patients on Viusid showed significant improvement in these parameters when compared to the control group.
Unfortunately, only 50% of people with hepatitis C respond to the single treatment currently available—the combination of the drugs peginterferon and ribavirin. Trials for other drugs had to be stopped due to serious side effects, the researchers explained in their paper.
“Hepatitis C virus infection is one of the most important causes of chronic liver disease,” stated the authors. “There is an obvious need for the continuous development of new treatment strategies.”
http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/6114907-groundbreaking-drugfree-treatment-for-hepatitis-c
Showing posts with label Viusid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Viusid. Show all posts
June 17, 2010
A nutritional supplement for treating chronic hepatitis C: Viusid
Contact: Ye-Ru Wang
wjg@wjgnet.com
86-105-908-0039
World Journal of Gastroenterology
The pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is associated with severe oxidative stress and non-selective immunological disturbance that lead to necroinflammation and the progression of fibrosis. Several trials have suggested that antioxidant and immunostimulant therapies may have a beneficial effect. Two previous clinical studies have reported that the Viusid related effect on histologic features, especially fibrosis, appears to be associated with antioxidant and/or immunomodulatory properties. However, the putative mechanism of action of Viusid is unknown.
A research article to be published on June 7, 2010 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. The authors reported the results of a randomized double-blind and placebo-controlled study to evaluate the effect of Viusid on oxidative stress and cytokine parameters in patients with CHC who had been nonresponders to previous antiviral therapy with peginterferon plus ribavirin and infected with genotype 1.
Their results show that Viusid improves oxidative stress through reduction of lipid peroxidation products and has an immunomodulatory effect on cytokine secretion via increased production of IFN-γ and IL-10, decreased production of IL-1α, and stabilized TNF-α secretion in patients with CHC who have failed previous antiviral treatment. Thus, Viusid is an interesting strategy of treatment for those patients who don't eradicate their viral infection or when antiviral treatment is contraindicated (decompensated cirrhosis). The administration of Viusid was well tolerated. Further studies are needed to evaluate the clinical impact of the administration of Viusid in patients with end-stage liver disease secondary to CHC.
###
Reference: Gomez EV, Perez YM, Sanchez HV, Forment GR, Soler EA, Bertot LC, Garcia AY, del Rosario Abreu Vazquez M, Fabian LG. Antioxidant and immunomodulatory effects of Viusid in patients with chronic hepatitis C. World J Gastroenterol 2010; 16(21): 2638-2647 http://www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/full/v16/i21/2638.htm
Correspondence to: Dr. Eduardo Vilar Gomez, PhD, Associated Professor, Department of Hepatology, National Institute of Gastroenterology, 25th Avenue, 503, Vedado, Havana 10400, Cuba. vilar@infomed.sld.cu
Telephone: +53-7-8325067 Fax: +53-7-8333253
About World Journal of Gastroenterology
World Journal of Gastroenterology (WJG), a leading international journal in gastroenterology and hepatology, has established a reputation for publishing first class research on esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, viral hepatitis, colorectal cancer, and H pylori infection and provides a forum for both clinicians and scientists. WJG has been indexed and abstracted in Current Contents/Clinical Medicine, Science Citation Index Expanded (also known as SciSearch) and Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition, Index Medicus, MEDLINE and PubMed, Chemical Abstracts, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, Abstracts Journals, Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology and Hepatology, CAB Abstracts and Global Health. ISI JCR 2008 IF: 2.081. WJG is a weekly journal published by WJG Press. The publication dates are the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th day of every month. WJG is supported by The National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30224801 and No. 30424812, and was founded with the name of China National Journal of New Gastroenterology on October 1, 1995, and renamed WJG on January 25, 1998.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-06/wjog-ans061710.php
wjg@wjgnet.com
86-105-908-0039
World Journal of Gastroenterology
The pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is associated with severe oxidative stress and non-selective immunological disturbance that lead to necroinflammation and the progression of fibrosis. Several trials have suggested that antioxidant and immunostimulant therapies may have a beneficial effect. Two previous clinical studies have reported that the Viusid related effect on histologic features, especially fibrosis, appears to be associated with antioxidant and/or immunomodulatory properties. However, the putative mechanism of action of Viusid is unknown.
A research article to be published on June 7, 2010 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. The authors reported the results of a randomized double-blind and placebo-controlled study to evaluate the effect of Viusid on oxidative stress and cytokine parameters in patients with CHC who had been nonresponders to previous antiviral therapy with peginterferon plus ribavirin and infected with genotype 1.
Their results show that Viusid improves oxidative stress through reduction of lipid peroxidation products and has an immunomodulatory effect on cytokine secretion via increased production of IFN-γ and IL-10, decreased production of IL-1α, and stabilized TNF-α secretion in patients with CHC who have failed previous antiviral treatment. Thus, Viusid is an interesting strategy of treatment for those patients who don't eradicate their viral infection or when antiviral treatment is contraindicated (decompensated cirrhosis). The administration of Viusid was well tolerated. Further studies are needed to evaluate the clinical impact of the administration of Viusid in patients with end-stage liver disease secondary to CHC.
###
Reference: Gomez EV, Perez YM, Sanchez HV, Forment GR, Soler EA, Bertot LC, Garcia AY, del Rosario Abreu Vazquez M, Fabian LG. Antioxidant and immunomodulatory effects of Viusid in patients with chronic hepatitis C. World J Gastroenterol 2010; 16(21): 2638-2647 http://www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/full/v16/i21/2638.htm
Correspondence to: Dr. Eduardo Vilar Gomez, PhD, Associated Professor, Department of Hepatology, National Institute of Gastroenterology, 25th Avenue, 503, Vedado, Havana 10400, Cuba. vilar@infomed.sld.cu
Telephone: +53-7-8325067 Fax: +53-7-8333253
About World Journal of Gastroenterology
World Journal of Gastroenterology (WJG), a leading international journal in gastroenterology and hepatology, has established a reputation for publishing first class research on esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, viral hepatitis, colorectal cancer, and H pylori infection and provides a forum for both clinicians and scientists. WJG has been indexed and abstracted in Current Contents/Clinical Medicine, Science Citation Index Expanded (also known as SciSearch) and Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition, Index Medicus, MEDLINE and PubMed, Chemical Abstracts, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, Abstracts Journals, Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology and Hepatology, CAB Abstracts and Global Health. ISI JCR 2008 IF: 2.081. WJG is a weekly journal published by WJG Press. The publication dates are the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th day of every month. WJG is supported by The National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30224801 and No. 30424812, and was founded with the name of China National Journal of New Gastroenterology on October 1, 1995, and renamed WJG on January 25, 1998.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-06/wjog-ans061710.php
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)